Conventional methods of treatment of finger injuries have usually comprised immobilization of the finger, usually by securing the finger to a splint and, in some cases, with the application of a traction force to the distal end of the injured finger to restore congruence at the articular surfaces.
More recently, it has been recognized that the application of both traction and movement is beneficial in the treatment of intra-articular fractures and may achieve articular symmetry with an excellent range of motion without the need for any extensive surgery.
While the method of dynamic traction has been increasingly recognized in the last ten years, there has been no commercially-available apparatus for successfully applying the method. The art teaches the custom fabrication of a splint in which a hoop is fashioned from thermoplastic material and applied to a splint base such that the radius of the circle comprising the hoop is equidistant from the injured joint in all directions when viewed from the side. Rubber bands are threaded through one end of a transosseous wire, passed over the hoop and attached to the wire's other end, with the desired tension being achieved by increasing the number of rubber bands used or by twisting the existing rubber bands. A comprehensive description of the fabrication of such a custom-made splint may be found in the following article "The Therapist's Management of Intra-articular Fractures and Clinics", Volume 10, No. 2 (May 1994), page 199-209.
While clinical test results using the afore-mentioned apparatus are very good, it is the applicant's belief that the dynamic traction method would enjoy more popularity if an apparatus was readily available, in which the time required to prepare the apparatus was minimized. It will be appreciated that hoop alignment to the injured finger's physiological arc of motion is critical to the successful application of the method and that the custom fabrication of every splint is not only time-consuming but inevitably also sometimes unsuccessful because a precise hoop alignment cannot be controlled.
Moreover, the above-described prior art device will allow the phalanges of the articular chain to become misaligned, particularly when the patient performs active assisted exercises on the injured finger and the hoop is not accurately centered on the joint. This may aggravate the injury and prolong the time required for healing.
Applicant has also found that the desired tension in the traction means is preferably adjusted during the course of the treatment so as to maintain congruence at the joint while optimizing the distraction force applied without compromising the vascular supply.
It is an object of this invention to provide suitable apparatus for the application of the dynamic traction method for treating a finger having an injured joint in which at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantages are addressed.